Simulating an enactment effect: Pronouns guide action simulation during narrative comprehension

Cognition
Tali DitmanHolly A Taylor

Abstract

Recent research has suggested that reading involves the mental simulation of events and actions described in a text. It is possible however that previous findings did not tap into processes engaged during natural reading but rather those triggered by task demands. The present study examined whether readers spontaneously mentally simulate the actions described in simple narratives by using a memory task that did not encourage the formation of mental images. During encoding, participants read event scenarios preceded by 'I', 'You', or 'He', and then 10 min (Experiment 1) or 3 days later (Experiment 2), we examined memory for action and descriptive elements of these scenarios. Given previous research demonstrating that readers simulate described actions preceded by 'You' from an actor's perspective, we predicted that such action statements would be better remembered than those preceded by 'He' or 'I' - a simulated enactment effect. Results of both experiments supported this prediction; readers had better memory for actions but not descriptive information (10 min and 3 days later) after reading statements preceded by 'You'. Results demonstrate that readers spontaneously mentally simulate actions during language comprehension and ta...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 21, 2010·Memory & Cognition·Tad T BrunyéHolly A Taylor
Jul 19, 2011·Acta Psychologica·Mark A Casteel
Jun 26, 2012·Acta Psychologica·Martin J PickeringChiara Gambi
Jul 14, 2010·Acta Psychologica·Tad T BrunyéHolly A Taylor
Jun 22, 2016·Experimental Brain Research·Natascia De LuciaMassimiliano Conson
Jul 23, 2016·Frontiers in Psychology·David M Sidhu, Penny M Pexman
Jul 18, 2019·Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology·Natascia De LuciaLuigi Trojano
Nov 20, 2016·Cognitive Science·Wessel O van Dam, Rutvik H Desai
Nov 28, 2019·Psychological Research·Anna M Borghi, Lawrence Barsalou
Jul 27, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Juliane T ZimmermannKai Vogeley
Jul 30, 2021·Human Factors·Daphne E Whitmer, Valerie K Sims
May 27, 2020··Melissa MazmanianEugenia Ha Rim Rho

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